WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has directed all Administrative Departments to process and manage legislative business through the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) portal from the ensuing Autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, beginning September 21.
The decision has been conveyed through a circular issued by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, which said NeVA—a digital platform aimed at facilitating paperless functioning of legislative assemblies—has been implemented in the Union Territory.
As per the circular, all legislative business relating to the upcoming session will have to be processed through the NeVA portal. The Assembly Secretariat has already forwarded questions received from MLAs to the concerned departments, while login credentials for the departments have also been created.
The government has asked all Administrative Departments to access their respective NeVA accounts daily and ensure timely processing of legislative business pertaining to their departments.
This will include Government Bills, legislative proposals and amendments, replies to Legislative Assembly questions, assurances, notices, references and other related documents. These are required to be submitted, received and processed through the portal in accordance with the prescribed procedures and timelines.
The departments have also been directed to ensure that documents uploaded on the portal are complete, duly authenticated and correspond to the approved version of the relevant proposal or document. The circular further directs each department to designate a Nodal Officer/NeVA Coordinator, wherever one has not already been appointed.
The designated officers will coordinate with the Legislative Assembly Secretariat and the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and handle legislative business received through the portal.
Departments have also been asked to make all necessary arrangements before the commencement of the session to ensure a smooth transition to the electronic system and prevent delays in legislative business. Technical issues concerning the portal can be taken up with the Assembly Secretariat or the concerned technical support team.
Administrative Secretaries have been instructed to ensure effective implementation of the arrangements in their respective departments from the forthcoming Autumn Session. The circular, issued by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government Achal Sethi, was directed to all Administrative Secretaries for information and strict compliance.
